Idea Selection
Consensus Mapping
Overview
The Consensus Mapping technique supports a facilitator and group to reach consensus about how to arrange a network of 20–30 different activities into a possible solution to a problem. It is best applied to generate creative solutions made up of many activities that can be undertaken in many different orders. It supports you to combine ideas and activities into the most effective sequence of these ideas and activities.
What to do
Apply this technique for each coherent action plan sequence. The technique can be applied in the following 7 steps:
- First of all, write down all of the ideas. To do this, devise a master list, via any suitable means, which provides details of all the ideas to be used in a single coherent action plan required. If the action plan is unclear, then brainstorm the activities needed to implement some idea or project. Everyone copies the master list of actions onto post-its, or equivalent, so that there is one idea per post-it;
- To prepare for the next steps, form the participants into 2–4 groups of 5–9 individuals in each;
- Each individual in each group, on his or her own attempt to group the ideas into related clusters or categories, without collaborating or sharing with any other individuals;
- The individuals work together in pairs or triads within each task group to describe one another's clusters, then to combine and/or merge their individual clusters into a single cluster that all of individuals agree with. Reaching this agreement might require reviewing, clarifying their meaning re-evaluating them;
- The facilitator then creates and presents a single straw-man integrated map to all of the participants;
- The participants divide again into their task groups, and each one uses the straw-man map for motivation and stimuli to guide the development of its own map in which activities are linked sequentially. Links made of ribbon or string are better than pen lines at this step because they can be changed;
- Finally, each task group exhibits its map of sequentially linked clusters to the other task groups. The participants then meet to construct a single final map that combines the features of all the maps.
People
This technique was specifically developed for up to 18 people.
Problem solving characteristics
Consensus Mapping has a specific role – it is best applied to generate a new and useful combination of sequence of ideas and activities that have already been generated using another technique, or collected from another source.
Creative phases
Consensus Mapping is probably more effectively used later in your creative process, after you have developed a set of ideas, and you need to group, structure and order the ideas into a concept that is to be presented as an activity, process or work flow.
Location
You can use this technique anywhere, but you need the space and facilities to allow for sub-groups to work and to come together in order to share their results.
Equipment
You will need pens, paper and post-its to document the ideas and activities, larger pieces of paper in order to represent the emerging sequences, and different display and projection facilities to enable facilitators to present results back to the participants.